Alternative Intervention
by kittencaboodle
Summary: Goes AU after Intervention. Buffy, with the encouragement of Dawn, stops being such a cold fish and helps Spike after he gets the snot kicked out of him by Glory. B/S with a bit of S/D friendship tossed in. Rated M for later chapters, so be warned!
1. Chapter 1

A/N- I own nothing. It's very sad.

So i've written something new, my loves! what can i say, my bio class is very boring.

summary- Goes AU after _Intervention_. Buffy stops being such a cold fish for a little bit, and lordy, lordy, guess what happens? Just a smutty little thing to try to make you smile. Gimme some reviews if you like it! ~ Kitten

"The guy was just so thrashed."

It's amazing what just a couple little words will do to a person. Hearing Xander feel sympathy for Spike wasn't something I ever thought I'd experience. Knowing Spike was in that situation because of me, because of Dawn, didn't sit well with me either. And what if he'd told Glory who the Key was? I needed to get Dawn out of town. And possibly finally kill Spike.

"Melt that thing down into scrap" I said to Willow, gesturing to Spike's disgusting sexbot. "But first, I want its clothes."

"Why?" Willow asked, fiving me that look she gave me when they thought I was sleeping with Spike.

"I'm going to pay a visit to our village pervert," I said. "I need to see how much he told. If Glory knows who the Key is, we need to run. Get Dawn and the gang together and ready to bolt if he spilled the goods."

"You'll be careful?" Willow asked. She handed me her cell phone. "Call when you find out anything."

"I'll be back soon, one way or another," I said, nodding. Willow helped me remove the Bot's clothing and I made myself up to look like that vile toy. What had Spike been thinking? He said he loved me, but then he had that thing made. This is why I can't ever love him. He doesn't know what love is. Love and sex aren't the same thing. Not even close.

Love sets you on fire, burns you whole until you don't know how you ever lived without it. But it makes you feel safe, cared for, too. Love doesn't fade, and it doesn't leave. When you tell someone you love them, you hand your heart over on a platter and trust that person enough not to break it. I've loved, and when I did, my heart got broken. I can't afford to love again.

I made my way to Spike's crypt, wanting nothing more than to curl up in my bed and cry. But my Calling doesn't rest, and Dawn needs me to make sure she's safe. So even though I haven't slept in two days, and some mysterious thing in the desert tells me death is my gift, I'm out again. Yay. When I pushed the door open to Spike's crypt, I pasted a smile on my face and flounced into his home.

He was lying on a stone tablet, looking more like a corpse than I've seen before. He opened his eyes slowly. "Spike! You're covered in sexy wounds." God, I cringed at my own words. How could he really have preferred that robot's stupidity? Though, I guess it didn't insult him every ten seconds.

"Yeah, I feel real sexy," he said. I had to admit, that deep rumble of his voice _was_ kind of sexy. He sat up excruciatingly slowly. He had to be in a lot of pain. I swallowed a lump in my throat. "Where you been?" he asked.

"I fell down and got confused," I said, trying to keep my best airhead voice up. "Willow fixed me. She's gay." I smiled and nodded like this was the best thing ever.

"Will fixed you?" Damn, probably should've cooked up a better lie. "Thought they'd melt you into scrap." Hmm, first correct thought you've had so far.

"They were confused too," I said. I smiled brightly at him. "Would you like to ravage me now?" Oh, god, what if he actually expected me to…?

"Give us a minute," he said hoarsely. Phew. "Got some bones need mending."

"Why did you let that Glory hurt you?" I asked, touching his face gently. Xander was right; he was thrashed. Bruises covered every inch of him that I could see. One eye was swollen shut and the other was purple and bloodshot. He looked like hell.

"She wanted t' know who the Key was," he said.

"Oh, well I can tell her, and then you'll-" I said, spinning for the door. He shouted after me, stopping me in my tracks.

"No!" He coughed hard with the force of his shout. He needed blood soon if he was ever going to recover from this. "You can't ever. Glory never finds out."

"Why?"

"'Cuz Buffy- the other, not-so-pleasant Buffy- anything happened to Dawn, it'd destroy her. I couldn' live, her bein' in that much pain. Let Glory kill me first. Nearly bloody did." Okay, so maybe he _did_ love me. And Dawn was safe. He hadn't given her up, and from what he said, I doubted he ever would. I frowned thoughtfully at what he'd said about not being able to live with me being hurt. I leaned in slowly, pressing a gentle kiss to his battered and broken lips. He kissed me back for a second, and then pulled away, confusion written all over his face. I didn't say anything, just turned around to leave.

"And my robot?" Damn him, always thinking with his penis. Put two and two together, dumbass.

"The robot is gone," I said with a heavy sigh. "The robot was gross and obscene."

"It wasn' s'posed t'-" he trailed off.

"Don't," I said sharply. "That… thing, it… it wasn't even real." I turned away as he hung his head. I stopped at the door, my hand on the door. "What you did, for me and Dawn… that was real," I said, glancing back over my shoulder at his broken form. He met my eyes. "I won't forget it." I escaped out into the sunshine, gasping for breath I hadn't realized I'd needed. My stomach turned, the nerves and emotions finally bubbling over, and I heaved into a bush. When the upchucking had ceased, I leaned back against a tombstone and pulled out Willow's cell phone.

"Hey Will, it's me," I said once she answered.

"Oh, Buffy, thank the goddess," Willow said. "What did he say?"

"He didn't say anything," I said. "He didn't tell Glory. We're safe for the moment." Willow let out a half-sob of relief, and I realized I was crying too. I wiped the tears from my face and sniffled.

"Buffy?" Dawn's voice was on the phone now. "How's Spike?"

"Beaten to a pulp and pouty over losing his toy," I said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said. She sighed heavily. "Buffy, I know you hate him, but could you please make sure Spike gets some blood? It'll take him days to heal if he doesn't feed. You might want him dead, but he _is_ my friend."

"I don't want him dead, Dawnie," I said absently. I really wasn't sure I could go back into that crypt. My stomach did another funny flip when I pictured his battered face again. He'd done that for me, to protect Dawn and me. Because he didn't want us to get hurt. I didn't want to care about him, but how could I not when he'd nearly given his life for me?

"Buffy?" Dawn asked.

"Huh? Sorry, I was spacing," I said.

"I said are you going to help him?" Dawn said. "'Cuz I can call Clem- he's a poker buddy of Spike's, he might be able to help him-"

"I'll do it, Dawn," I said. "I'll go to Willie's and get him some blood."

"And Buffy? I know you don't like it when he drinks human, but it'll help him more than pig's blood right now."

"I know," I said. "Don't worry, Sweetie. I'll take care of him."

"And by 'take care of him' you don't mean 'stake him', right?" she asked.

"Dawn," I said sternly. Did she really think I'd kill him after what he'd just done for us? "I'm not going to hurt him. I'll go get him some blood, patch him up, and put him to bed. He'll be fine."

"Okay..." She didn't sound like she believed me.

"Look, I'll be home in a couple of hours, and we'll go check on him tomorrow, okay? You and me." If I let her come with, she'd probably stop whining so much.

"Okay!" There, much peppier. "Then I'll see you later. Be careful, okay? And give my love to Spike."

"Sure," I said, standing and heading towards Willie's. I picked up some O positive, an order of hot wings, and a bottle of water to rinse out the taste of bile in my mouth. Feeling generous, I even picked up a six-pack of his beer of choice and some cigarettes. If anything this would keep him from stealing for a week or two. Tossing in a box of Wheetabix, I took my haul back to Restfield.

I knocked this time, easing the door open. "Spike?" He didn't answer. Oh, god, what if Glory had come back, taken him again? I pushed open the door fully and rushed in. Then I saw him, still on the sarcophagus, fast asleep or passed out. Sighing, I put the beer, blood, and hot wings in his fridge. I knew where he kept the first-aid kit, but it was downstairs, in that room where he chained me up a couple weeks ago. Gritting my teeth, I pulled the trap door open and went downstairs.

The first thing I noticed was the bed, a giant canopied four-poster in the middle of the room. It hadn't been there before. Covered in dark red and black satin, it looked sinfully lush. Then I noticed that the chains were gone from the wall, as was the Buffy-shrine. All that was left was one picture, of me, Mom, and Dawn, smiling for the camera. It had been taken on Dawn's last birthday. I touched Mom's face, choking back tears. She had been friends with Spike. And he certainly was capable of human emotions, as much as I'd like to deny it, more than any other vampire I'd met. Did he miss her, too? Did he lie awake at night –like I did- wishing that he could have one more conversation, one more cup of hot cocoa, with her?

I wiped away the tears that had fallen and left the picture in its place. He should keep that one. I grabbed his first aid kit and nearly ran out of the room. Being in his bedroom was a bit much. Those butterflies had started back up again in my stomach, but I forced them down as I found a basin and filled it with a water bottle I found in the fridge. Setting the basin next to his head, I found a pair of scissors in the first aid kit and a rag. I cut his shirt off, exposing his chest to the air. His lovely porcelain skin was nearly completely purple with bruises. No one had better skin than Spike. It was much too flawless for a hunter, far too beautiful for a demon. I winced when he flinched from my touch on his ribs. They were probably broken, and judging by the fact that he wasn't doing his usual breathing pantomime, it was possible he had a punctured lung. His shoulder looked like it was dislocated, and one of those sharp cheekbones appeared to be broken. It would take him days to heal from this, even with human blood.

I wet the rag in the basin and went to work washing the blood and grime from his skin. Glory had stabbed him with something a few times, and the wounds were gaping holes in his torso. Once he was clean, I touched his face softly. "You stupid man. Why'd you let her hurt you like this?"

"Have… t' protect… the girl," he wheezed drowsily. The sound of his pained voice confirmed my theory of internal injuries. "Buffy?"

"Yeah, it's me," I said softly. "How do you feel?"

"Like hell."

"Well, then you look exactly like you feel," I chuckled, trying to ease the tension. "I brought you some blood. It'll help you get better, okay?" He nodded stiffly and I hopped off the tablet. I poured a coffee mug half- full of the O positive I'd brought him and popped it into the microwave. When it was done, I pulled a slim dagger from my boot and slit my wrist open. I heard him murmur something incoherent as I filled the cup up fully. Wrapping my wrist up in another rag, I took the mug back to him.

"I'm gonna go slow, okay?" I said. "I need you to drink."

"You're bleedin'," he said.

"Shh, just drink," I said. I propped his head up gently with one hand and brought the cup up to his lips. He sipped slowly, and then sputtered.

"You're givin' me your blood, Slayer?" he asked, non-swollen eye opened wide.

"Shh," I said again. "It'll help you heal."

"No," he said, twisting away from me. His injured shoulder hit the concrete slab and he hissed in pain.

"Spike, stop," I said. If he kept this up, he was going to hurt himself more. I pushed him back down onto the slab. "Look," I said. "You're hurt. You got that way helping me. So let me help you, okay?"

"Don'," he insisted. "Don' let me-" Was he really rejecting Slayer blood? The guy came to Sunnydale three years ago for the sole purpose of making my neck his chalice, after all. Why was he saying no now?

"Spike," I said gently. When had I ever said his name this much in one conversation? "You're not feeding from the source. Hell, it's not even all mine. It's just to get you well, okay?" He nodded stiffly and I picked the mug up again. Holding his head in my hand, I fed him slowly, trying not to look into his eyes –or eye, I guess. When he'd finished the blood, he laid his head back down. He looked exhausted.

"Hold on," I said. I grabbed a pillow from the couch and placed it under his head.

"Thanks," he said. "I still feel like hell, though."

"You still look like hell," I countered. I smiled at him, hoping to calm his nerves. I still needed to fix his shoulder, and his ribs needed to be bound. He wasn't going to like me very much in a minute, so I should butter him up now, right? "I need to fix your shoulder now, Spike," I said. "I think it's dislocated."

"Feels it," he mumbled.

"Okay, this is going to be super awkward, but here goes." I climbed up on the sarcophagus with him, one knee on either side of his lean hips. 'Cuz I needed leverage, see. I tried to ignore the way his pupils dilated, or the very obvious bulge in his pants, but it was damn hard. Hard to ignore him, I mean. Not that he was hard- oh, god, never mind. And then I had to try _really_ hard to ignore the heat that was suddenly pooling between my own legs, but that was even harder. From the way his nose flared, I guessed he could probably smell my reaction. Well, damn. This was going to make my whole 'the only chance you had with me was when I was unconscious' argument moot.

"Jus' do it, pet," he said quietly. He gritted his teeth and I pressed down hard on his shoulder. The joint popped back together and he shouted out in pain.

"Sorry," I said, moving to get off of him. He grabbed my hips hard with both hands, keeping me on top of him. "Spike," I said. It was supposed to be a protest. So why did it come out a moan?

"Jus' gimme a mo'," he said. That hard length pressed between my thighs just wasn't going away, was it?

"Spike." There, that one sounded appropriately whiny. He let me go, and I climbed off him slowly. Because I didn't want to hurt him. That's all, I swear. So when I finally got him off- _got off him!_

Damn. Damn, damn, damn. There really isn't a word strong enough when you realized you suddenly want to lick every inch of your former enemy's body. _Every_ inch. Damn.

"You okay, love?" he asked. I realized I was staring at the defined ridges of his abs. I have mentioned damn, right?

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, tearing my eyes away from the hard muscles. "Uhm, I need to wrap your ribs up. It'll help them heal, make it hurt less."

"'Kay," he said. He tried to sit up, but the look on his face was too much. I braced him, helping him sit up slowly.

"I'll try to be gentle," I said. "But it's gotta be tight."

"Don' worry 'bout hur'in' me, kitten," he said. God, his voice was sexy, especially when his accent was this thick. Sometimes I can barely understand him, but that low rumble hardly ever fails to get my panties wet. Wait, strike that. I did _so_ not admit to having naughty dreams about Spike since that engagement spell. Except I just did. God dammit, what's wrong with me? Damn Freud and his slips.

Huffing, I got an ace bandage from the first aid kit and started wrapping his chest. Apparently I was openly seething, because Spike grabbed my hand. "What's wrong, pet?" he asked. I sighed.

"Nothing, I'm just having a fight with myself," I muttered.

"'Bout what?" Okay, no one that beaten up should be allowed to smirk like that.

"Nothing," I said.

"'F you don' tell me, 'll assume the wors'," he said. "Tha' you're gonna put a poor vamp outta his misery 'r somethin'."

"Spike, I wouldn't do that to you," I said. What's stranger, it was true. The thought of a world without Spike made my stomach turn and a lump catch in my throat. Oh god. Was I actually having feelings for him? Other than hate and loathing, I mean? I needed to get out of here.

"You need some more blood," I said, going back over to the refrigerator. I untied the rag from my wrist and cut open my wrist again. I gave him more of my blood than the donated stuff this time, so he could heal faster. He was still sitting up, so instead of feeding him, I handed the mug over. I watched as he drank, eyes flashing gold. He probably wanted to change into game-face, but he didn't. Not for the first time, I admired his control. He drained the mug and set it down.

"Thank you, love," he said quietly.

"There's a couple packets still in the fridge, and some hot wings if you get the munchies."

"Ya din't have t' do that, pet," he said.

"You didn't have to let Glory beat you to a pulp," I said, touching his cheek gently. The swelling had gone down some so he could now open both of his eyes. "You saved Dawn's life today. Don't think I'll forget that any time soon." He smiled wearily at me. He looked absolutely exhausted. But he wouldn't be safe up here. "You need to rest," I said. "C'mon, I'll help you get downstairs."

"This is fine," he said.

"And if some demon or Glories minions come by? You're in no shape to fight, Spike."

"S'pose you're right," he said. He slid slowly from the sarcophagus. His knees buckled at first, but I caught him under his good shoulder. Slowly, we walked to the trap door to the basement.

"Need a shower," he said once we'd made it downstairs. "Don' think you could help, Slayer?"

"Uhm, Spike, I'm not really comfortable helping you shower," I said. Truth be told, if I saw him naked, I'm not sure I could control myself.

"Right, sorry," he said.

"But, um, I'll… stick around," I said. "If you need me, gimme a yell." He nodded, limping slowly to the niche in the cave where he'd made his shower. "Wait," I said, coming up behind him. I touched his side gently. "I'll have to change your bandages anyway, so you might as well wash some of the grime off first." He nodded and let me unwrap the dressing. Even after only a few minutes, the bandage was stained with blood. He moved to the shower while I went back upstairs to dispose of the bloodied bandage and get a new one. I took my time, still listening for any signs of distress from him. But when I came back down, Spike was out of the shower. The way his hair stuck up was just too cute, by the way. He had a soft white towel wrapped around his waist and he was perched on the side of the bed.

"'Kay, let's do this again," I said. He nodded and lifted his arms away from his torso. I tried to be gentle, but he winced in pain anyway. "Sorry," I said. When I finished wrapping him up, I let my hands fall away and backed up.

"So, you should… get some rest," I said awkwardly. I mean, what exactly does one say to one's former enemy turned sorta friend? Especially what does one say when that sorta friend is mostly naked?

Spike lay down on his bed, nearly collapsing against his pillows. "I'll be back tomorrow, okay?" I said. "I promised Dawn I'd bring her to check up on her favorite vampire."

"Thanks, love," he said, eyes drifting closed. I stayed until I thought he was asleep, then covered him with a sheet and leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead.

"Sweet dreams, Hero-boy," I said. He murmured in his sleep, but all I caught was 'Love you, Buffy.' I sighed. Yeah, I know you do, Spike. Stupid man…pire. I left the crypt after I made sure everything was secure. No one would guess that he was there unless they knew where to look. Satisfied, I went home.

When I got there, Dawn nearly jumped on me, demanding to know how Spike was. "He's okay, Dawnie," I said. "I got him some blood and cleaned him up. He was sleeping when I left."

"You just left him there alone?" she demanded. "What if they come back for him?"

"I put him in the lower level," I said. "He's got a bed there. I made sure the top level looks like no one's home. He's safe. And I'll go check on him after my patrol, okay?" That seemed to appease her for awhile. Ignoring the rest of my friends, I went upstairs for a bath. I was covered in Spike's blood, and my muscles ached from the restraint of being so gentle with him. I wasn't used to having to control myself around him. He was always so strong.

I turned on the water for my bath and stripped away my dirty clothes. I tossed some bath salts into the water and lit the candles I kept in the bathroom. I just wanted to relax. Turning off the harsh overhead light, I slipped into the warm, welcoming water and felt my muscles instantly relax.

I meant to just relax, really. But then my hands slipped over my breasts and down the skin of my belly. Suddenly, I was stroking the soft skin of my inner thighs and wishing I had strong, cool hands to do it for me. It was definitely not the first time I'd fantasized about Spike touching me, but it was the first time I'd done so after realizing I was in lo- like with him. Damn.

My hands were possessed, I swear. And apparently, so was my mind, because I was picturing blue eyes smiling down at me while a strong, hard body made love to me. Wait- made love? Screwed, that's what I meant. Because there was no way I was in love with Spike.

My orgasm came unbidden, and Spike's name was suddenly echoing off the tile around me. I'd never actually said his name when I got off thinking about him. Double damn. I was falling for Spike. William the Bloody, Slayer of Slayers, sole remaining heir to the line of Aurelius, and I, Buffy Summers, Vampire Slayer, was falling for him. Giles was gonna kill me.

~ woo, naughty, naughty girl. there's more to come, so if you want more, leave me some lovin'!


	2. Chapter 2

So, gentle readers, the last bit left us with naughty Miss Buffy... ahem... working out some tension. Here's the next installation, and if i get some sweet reviews, i'll put some more up later. leave me some love~ Kitten

I still don't own anything, nor am i making any money from this.

Spike was still asleep when I stopped by to check on him after patrol, thank the Powers. I heated up some blood and topped it off with some of my own again. Writing a quick note "Drink me~ B." I placed the mug by his bed and bolted. The smell of blood would wake him up.

Sleep was not my friend that night, and I felt an urge to slap that smirk of Dawn's face when I growled 'coffee' the next morning. I resisted, but barely.

"Rough night, Buffster?" Xander asked.

"Couldn't sleep," I growled. Once Dawn got going to school, I went back into my room, closing the curtains. This time, sleep came easy and dreamless.

I woke up to Dawn jumping on my bed. "I wanna go see Spike now," she said, bouncing.

"'Kay, lemme get dressed," I said.

"Nah, go like that, Spike'll like it," Okay, I really had to fight that urge to slap her silly.

"Get out," I snarled. She giggled and skipped out of my room. I threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, pulling my bed-mussed hair up. Spike said he loved me, so he should love me no matter how I looked.

Dawn was practically vibrating with excitement by the time I made it downstairs. I grabbed some money and my jacket, telling Dawn we should stop by Willie's. What was with that smirk? She couldn't read my mind. She didn't know I was falling for Spike. We picked up some fresh blood and I ignored Willie's questions. When we got to Spike's crypt, Dawn threw the door open with surprising strength. I followed her in, putting the blood in the fridge. The hot wings and the other packets of blood were gone, so Spike must be feeling well enough to move around. I felt a little guilty leaving him here all day without anyone to check on him. He wasn't anywhere on the top level, and he didn't answer our calls.

"I'll go get him," Dawn said, moving to the trap door. I caught her arm.

"When I left, he was asleep," I said. "Naked."

"Not seeing the bad." God, that smirk!

"_I'll _go get him," I said. I went downstairs, calling his name. "Spike? Spikey? Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead." He was sleeping, sprawled out on his bed, but the usual black jeans were slung low on his slim hips. His bruises had faded, now just pale purple-green tinges over his skin. His pretty face had healed mostly, and the bruise around his once-swollen eye would be gone by nightfall. I walked up to the side of his bed, touching his shoulder gently.

"Spike, wake up," I said. No response. Guess they don't say 'sleep like the dead' for nothing, huh? I shook his shoulder sharply, speaking louder. "Spike!"

His hand shot out and grabbed me, hauling me over him. He rolled, pinning me underneath him. I yelped in surprise when my back hit the mattress. His sharp eyes were sleepy, but when he looked at me he blinked. "Buffy?" he asked. I was panting from the shock, and I saw him glance down to my chest, where my breasts heaved. "Whatcha doin', love?"

"Came to check on you. Dawn's here too," I said. It came out a breathy gasp. He shifted slightly over me, and I couldn't hold back a small whimper. His position- completely on top of me and resting between my thighs- called my attention back to what I'd done last night in the bath.

"Sorry," he said, scrambling off of me. "Instincts an' what not."

"It's okay," I said, sitting up and straightening my t-shirt. "So, uh, we brought some more blood, and I think Dawn wanted to order a pizza, but I told her we'd wait to see how you feel." I tried to smile at him, but I'm not sure how successful I was. My nerves were a mess, and my heart was still pounding. "And if you haven't noticed, the Summers girls have invaded your crypt."

"I don' mind," he said. "Wha's your plan, then, love?"

"Dunno," I said. "Dawn was the one with the plan. So, if you feel up to it, let's go upstairs and see what the General has to say." Spike nodded and climbed out of the bed. He still wasn't moving so well, but it was a vast improvement. I stood as he found a t-shirt and tried to pull it over his head.

He hissed in pain and dropped his arms. "Still sore?" I asked, getting nearer to him. He nodded, almost shame-faced. I knew that being this helpless was killing him. "Just change tactics then. Got any shirts that button?

"Third drawer," he said, gesturing to the dresser behind me. Ooh, Spike clothes. Fun. I opened the drawer and started rooting around. There was that old red button-down he always wore, as well as a black one. Right, Spike, keep up your 'bad boy' image. But there was also a royal purple version, and a blue copy. And a white one. I grabbed the white one and turned around, hiding it behind my back.

"You wear a lot of black," I said. He rolled his eyes and gave me his 'Duh, Buffy,' look. Grinning wickedly, I pulled the snow-white shirt out. "Let's remedy that."

"No, love, I hate that shirt," he whined. "It makes me look dead."

"You are dead," I countered. He glared at me. "Please?" I asked, turning on the big, wide eyes and pouty lower lip. His resolve only stood for a minute before abruptly collapsing. Sighing, he held his arms out. I jumped happily and helped him into the shirt. I was buttoning up the front when my hand accidently- I swear! - touched the firm flesh above his belly button. He grabbed my hands and pulled them away from him.

"I've got this bit," he said. When he finished buttoning the shirt, he ran a hand through his messy hair, trying to tame the curls. They stuck up stubbornly in every direction. I stifled a giggle. Why was I giggling in a vampire's lair? Slayers do not _giggle_. Well, they don't when they're not falling in love with said vampire. I had to be the worst Slayer ever.

"Leave them," I said, grabbing his hand and pulling it away from his hair. "They're cute."

"Right, jus' what I wanna be: cute."

"I like them," I said, giving him a smile. Ooh, that worked. He dropped his hand and gestured to himself.

"Do what you want, pet," he said. "'M your own personal kewpie doll."

"You did make a robot that looked like me, y'know," I said, hands on my hips. "Karma's a bitch, huh, pretty boy?"

"S'pose it is," he said, putting a big smile on his face. It didn't even look fake. "'Kay then, love. Do your worst."

I stepped up close to him so I could reach his bleached head. But then I got a strong whiff of his scent. He smelled like soap, smoke, blood and, strangely enough, cinnamon. It was delicious. I realized I was way too close to him. My heart was pounding. Covering for my own hormones, I ruffled his hair playfully with both hands.

"There," I said. "Dead sexy." I nudged him gently in the side. "Get it? 'Cuz you're dead."

"Oh, please, Slayer, stop. I can hardly breathe from laughing at your razor wit," he deadpanned. He might be joking now, but I saw that flicker that passed through his eyes when I called him sexy. He really should learn to get a better poker face. You can read everything in those eyes.

"C'mon, stupid," I said, taking his hand. "Dawn'll get ideas if we take too long. She's already smirking far too much for my liking." His hand was cool and smooth in mine, his grip strong. I led him to the ladder to the first level, letting go a little reluctantly to climb. God, I needed to get a grip. Keep acting like this, Summers, and he'll be onto you faster than vultures on road kill. And also, I needed better metaphors. I shot up the ladder, leaping to my feet once I hit the top level of the crypt. Spike followed me slowly, and I offered a hand to help him up. He took it, letting me help him to his feet.

"You okay?" I asked when he winced.

"Knee's still not quite- oof!" He found himself with an armful of Dawn. She squeezed tightly, and I saw the grimace of pain flash across his face.

"Dawn, let go," I said firmly, pulling her away. "He's still not 100%."

"Oh! Sorry! I'm so sorry, Spike, I forgot!" Dawn said. I saw the tears forming in her eyes.

"'S okay, Niblet," he said, ruffling her hair. She smiled, crisis averted, and I walked over to the refrigerator. If I started something with Spike- and I was seriously considering it- I think Dawn would be okay with it. As long as she wasn't still nursing that crush of hers.

"Dawn, will you call for the pizza?" I asked, tossing the phone to her as she nodded and continued relating some story to Spike. Taking out a packet of blood and filling a mason jar- he was out of clean mugs- half way, I used my dagger to cut my arm again and topped it off. I bandaged my arm and handed the mug to Spike once it finished warming up. He raised that scarred eyebrow at me, sniffing the blood.

"'M okay, love, you don' have t'-"

"I know I don't," I said, smiling at him. "Drink up." Dawn was looking from me to Spike and back like we were playing tennis. She hung up the phone and grinned at Spike.

"New look, Spike?" she asked, gesturing to his hair and shirt.

"Appears so, Snack Pack," he said, downing his blood. His eyes dilated, and I remembered what he said about Slayer blood being an aphrodisiac. Whoops.

"Dawn, did you order-"

"Extra large with everything, anchovies on a third," she said, handing me back the phone. Spike and I shared a grimace. The monks that made her couldn't have used my essence for that part; anchovies are gross. "Y'know, I'd've thought they'd have more of an issue delivering pizza to a cemetery," Dawn said.

"Some of us demons like t' eat, too, Platelet," Spike said. I know I should be more wigged by his nicknames for my sister referring to her as food, but they were kinda cute. And the way he looked after her, watching out for anyone who'd want to hurt her, was undeniably amazing.

He'd become a good guy, sometime in the last year. I still wasn't fond of some of the things he did- chaining me up and threatening to feed me to Drusilla wasn't his best idea- but he really had tried to change. Maybe it was time to show him I've noticed.

"Buff? Earth to Buffy. Helllloooo?" Dawn said, waving her hand in front of my face. I jerked, startled.

"What?"

"I asked you a question," Dawn said.

"I tune out when you talk, sorry," I said. Spike snorted. "Try again."

"You are so annoying," Dawn said, rolling her eyes. I grinned. "I said did Angel ever eat human food?"

"I rarely even saw Angel drink blood," I said, shaking my head. I frowned at her. "Why are we talking about Angel?"

"'S my question too," Spike grumbled. I looked up, catching his eye. Giving him a half-smile, I hoped it was reassuring.

"Pizza should be here soon," I said, changing subjects. "What do you wanna do in the meantime?"

Dawn and I spent the rest of the afternoon at Spike's crypt, eating pizza and watching taped episodes of _Passions_ on Spike's TV. Spike pouted when Dawn and I made fun of his soap, and I had to seriously hold myself back from kissing that pout off his face. Spike sat between Dawn and I, legs sprawled wide. When Dawn turned on an old movie, I curled my legs up underneath me and laid my head on his shoulder.

"Is this okay?" I asked quietly. His eyebrows shot nearly to his hairline but he nodded. Dawn curled up next to him, too, resting her head on his thigh. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders carefully, moving gingerly to avoid hurting his ribs again. When he started playing idly with Dawn's hair, I sighed happily. This is what families did, right? Nice, normal families curled up on the couch together and watched movies. What's more, it didn't feel awkward or forced. It felt right. _Spike_ felt right.

After the movie was over, we sat in comfortable silence, Dawn napping with her head still pillowed by Spike's thigh. He rubbed soft circles over my shoulder with his thumb while I played with a lock of my hair. The credits rolled as I relaxed against his body.

"Love?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah?" I answered. I realized for the first time that I hadn't told him not to call me that since Glory.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked, keeping his voice low so he didn't wake Dawn.

"Didn't give me much choice, did you?" I asked, looking up at him with a grin. He rolled his eyes at me. "Go ahead."

"Wha's goin' on here?" he asked. "'Tween you an' me?"

"I'm not sure yet," I whispered.

"I understand yesterday," he said. "It was a thank-you. But today? 'M not complainin', mind you, but if you're doin' this 'cuz o' wha' I did yesterday-"

"You asked for a crumb, right?" I said, sitting up. He didn't move, afraid of waking Dawn.

"Yeah…" he said slowly.

"Okay, so I'm cookie dough," I said. He cocked an eyebrow. I reached for the words to make him understand. "I'm not done baking. I'm not finished becoming whoever the hell it is I'm gonna turn out to be. And people keep sticking their fingers in the bowl, taking out chunks. But when I make it through all of this, and the next thing, and the thing after that, maybe one day I'll turn around and realize I'm ready. I'm cookies. And then, you know, if I want someone to eat-" His eyebrows rose and he grinned at me lasciviously, tongue behind his teeth. "-Enjoy warm, delicious cookie me… then I'll be ready."

"Any ideas 'bout who might get to… _enjoy_… this cookie-you, love?" he asked. He didn't even try to hide his ogling.

"Got a couple hunches," I said, grinning back at him. "But I can guess it won't be before Glory is dealt with. So, for now, I'm giving you your crumb. You okay with that?"

"Am I okay with that?" he asked incredulously. He pulled me in close and kissed my forehead. I got a big whiff of Spike-scent again, which made me a little reluctant to let go. "My silly, daft Slayer," he murmured.

"We'll have to take this- whatever this is- slow," I said, still leaning in close. "I mean, I'm still kinda screwed up from Riley leaving-"

"Wanker," Spike said not-so-under-his-breath. I smiled and leaned in to nuzzle my nose against his jaw. It should be illegal for a man to smell that good.

"And my friends will not exactly be thrilled at this turn of events," I said. "I mean, you tied me up a couple weeks ago and had a robot made to look like me so you could have sex with it. Not some of your better ideas."

"Yeah," he said, scrunching up his face. It was adorable, in a stupid way. "See, I got this problem. My blood doesn't exactly rush in the direction of my brain."

"No, it doesn't," I giggled. I cuddled in closer to his side, and I swear he started purring. Lazily, he changed the channel on the TV so we weren't watching movie credits anymore.

Slowly, very slowly, I reached over to entwine my fingers with his. His fingers curled around mine and he laid our hands over Dawn's shoulder. My other hand traced idle shapes over his knee. I couldn't remember ever doing this with Riley or Angel. Neither had ever wanted to spend any time with Dawn, and they hadn't been fond of cuddling. Granted, with Angel and half the time I was with Riley, Dawn hadn't technically existed, but still. They weren't family guys. They didn't like being with my friends; hell, half the time I don't think either of them would have minded if I didn't even talk.

Spike's thumb was rubbing the skin of my inner wrist, where I'd cut it to feed him. He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the healing scar gently. When he let our hands drop back down, Dawn let out a monstrous groan.

"God, will you two just make out already?" she asked, sitting up. My face was on fire, and daring a quick glance at Spike, I saw that he looked properly embarrassed. I didn't think we were talking that loudly. "You two are pathetic," Dawn said.

"How are-" I started. The phone I'd borrowed from Willow rang shrilly. I rolled my eyes and dug into my pocket to retrieve it. "Yeah?" I said into the phone.

"Hey, Buff. How's babysitting the undead?" Xander asked.

"I'm not babysitting him, Xander," I snapped. "Spike's fine. He's nearly completely healed."

"Oh." Xander sounded a bit dejected. I grit my teeth to keep from snapping at him again. "Well, that's good then, right? Now you and Dawnie can come with us to the Bronze tonight."

"Why would we be going to the Bronze tonight, Xand?" I asked. "Nut job hell-god after my sister, remember?"

"Well, yeah, but you can take one night off, can't you?" he asked. Was he insane? I couldn't take one night off from _protecting my sister!_ "And we'll all be there to take care of Dawn. We'll watch out for her."

"Hold on," I said, putting my hand over the phone. "Xander, in his infinite wisdom, thinks we should go Bronzing tonight," I said to Dawn.

"If you and Spike are there I should be safe, right?" Dawn said. I looked to Spike.

"You feel up to it?"

"'M fine, love," he said. I tightened my grip on the phone.

"Okay, next question," I said. "Y'wanna go to the Bronze with us?"

"Read: Spike, I think you're dreamy. Wanna go out with me?" Dawn teased in an annoyingly high soprano.

"I do not sound like that!" Okay, so maybe I did, when I got mad at her. "And that's totally not what I was saying." I said. "Not completely," I added under my breath. Spike looked over at me, eyebrow raised. Damn, I'd forgotten about that pesky vampire hearing. He gave me that head-tilted look that made me want to spill all of my deepest, darkest secrets.

"So, you up for it?" I asked. Spike shrugged.

"Don' got much better to do" he said. "Might 's well keep an eye on my girls, yeah?"

"Aw, d'you hear that? We're his girls," Dawn said in her annoyingly chipper voice.

"Smug is not attractive on you," I said, glaring at her.

"She's right, Bit," Spike said, squeezing my fingers in his. I suddenly remembered the phone in my hand.

"Buffy? Buuuuuffffffffffyyyyyyyyyyyy?" Xander sang into the phone as I put it up to my ear. I instantly pulled it away.

"Xander? Stop that, you're making my ears bleed," I said. He stopped and I pressed the phone back to my ear. "You there? Okay, we'll go. Be at my house around dark, okay?"

"Sure thing, Buffster," Xander said. We said goodbye and hung up. Dawn was looking to me and Spike expectantly.

"So, do you think you guys can sleep together before Easter? I have a bet going with Anya," Dawn said.

"You hear that? They're bettin' on us," Spike said, leaning in close to me. I smiled up at him.

"What's Anya's bet?" I asked.

"By May."

"Think you can wait till June?" I asked Spike.

"Then Tara wins," Dawn said. "Willow's got after the 4th of July, and Xander has 'a cold day in hell'."

"They're insufferable," I said.

"So, who do we let win?" Spike whispered in my ear. The feeling of his breath on my skin sent shivers down my spine.

"Let's just let it happen, 'kay?" I whispered back. We were nose-to-nose, and his blue eyes were nearly navy with desire.

"Hey, Bit," he said, not looking away from me. "Close your eyes."

"Why?" she asked.

"Just do as you're told," he ordered. I looked over his shoulder, seeing Dawn close her eyes tightly. Looking back at Spike, I nodded, and he leaned in even closer to me.

Okay, y'know how after that engagement spell lifted, I complained a lot about the 'Lips of Spike'? As it turns out, Lips of Spike? Pretty damn tasty. His hand reached up and tangled through my hair as his other hand wrapped around mine. His lips were soft, gentle. His tongue, when I parted my lips to let it in, stroked mine sensuously. And he tasted good. Like sweet rum cookies, bourbon, smoke, and spicy sweetness. Delicious, to say the least.

"You two done yet?" Dawn asked. We broke away with identical sighs.

"Yeah, we're done, Snack Pack," Spike said.

"So, we're Bronzing?" Dawn asked, rolling her eyes as she stood up.

"Yeah, we're Bronzing," I said, standing up rather slowly. Spike still held my hand. "When's sundown?"

"Two hours, give or take," Spike said. It was kind of cool, really, his internal sun-clock.

"Just enough time for us to go home and let you get pretty," Dawn said. "Spike, come by the house when the sun goes down and you can pick Buffy up like a proper date."

"I think Big Sis is right," Spike said. "Smug is not pretty on you, Little Bit."

"We'll see you in a couple hours," I said, squeezing the hand still clasped in mine. He raised our hands to his mouth, kissing my knuckles.

"Say goodbye to the pretty vampire," Dawn said, ushering me out. I let go of his hand and found my jacket. "Later loser," she said, dropping a kiss to his cheek. She clucked like a mother hen until I finally made it outside.

"You are hopeless," she said. I rolled my eyes.

"What?"

"You and Spike," she said. "Exactly _what_ happened last night?"

"He was hurt, Dawnie," I said. "And he got that way protecting you, protecting us."

"So these are pity make-out sessions, then?"

"No!" I insisted. "It just… opened my eyes, I guess."

"Ya been openin' anything else?" she drawled. "Like, by chance, your legs?"

"You little witch!" I yelled as she took off running ahead of me, laughing.

So, as it turns out, when you're trying to get ready for a sorta-date, two hours is not nearly enough time to get dressed. I'd showered and done my hair, but the clothes part was proving to be difficult.

"Buffy!" Dawn yelled from downstairs. "The Scoobies are here! Are you ready yet?"

"No!" I yelled back. "I'm officially out of clothes!"

"Why are you out of clothes?" Willow asked, popping her head in. I was wearing a nice black lace bra-and-panty set with my robe thrown on.

"I can't find anything to wear," I moaned, slumping into my chair. Willow rummaged through the clothes I'd thrown everywhere. She pulled out a red tank dress I'd considered and threw it at me.

"Wear that," she said, starting to clean my room up. If Willow is one thing, she is a neat freak. I pulled the dress over my head and opened my mouth to ask why, but she held up a finger at me. "One, it'll look great on you. Two, it's in Spike's favorite color. And three, Spike might actually lose the power of speech, which would be funny."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, playing dumb.

"Cut the crap, Dawn told Tara and me already," she said. She smiled at me and sighed deeply. "Now, while I don't exactly completely understand it, I'm not going to stand in your way. I'm going to trust that you know what you're doing, but I'm not going to stop worrying about you. I mean, you hated him yesterday."

"Yeah, I know," I said. "But, I mean, I didn't really. I haven't _hated_ him hated him in a long time, y'know? We just… we work. We fit. I don't really know where we're going with this, but I know I was happier watching TV with Spike and Dawn today than I have been in a long time."

"That's all I needed to know," Willow said. "If you're happy, I'm happy. So Spike's in."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. I accepted Anya, didn't I?"

"Just don't summon a troll this time, okay?" I teased her. I pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you," I said in her ear. She smiled and swatted me on the butt, ordering me to finish getting ready. I found a pair of heels to go with the dress as Willow finished tidying my room. I left off my usual silver cross in favor of a long silver necklace that dipped into my cleavage. After all, I might have sexy vampire lips on my skin later. It wouldn't be nice to burn him, would it? Checking over my reflection, I nodded in approval.

"I don't think he's here yet," Willow said.

I grinned as the tingles on the back of my neck started. Most vampires sent chills over my scalp and neck or made the hair on my arms stand up. But a few- the ones I knew or faced repeatedly- had distinct signatures on my Slayer sense. The Master, Angel, Spike, Drusilla, and Dracula all felt differently. Angel felt like someone running cool fingers on my throat. Drac felt like someone turned the AC all the way up, and Dru felt like someone scratching the skin of my arms with their nails.

But Spike… Spike felt like lips brushing under my ear. Warmth spread like a fever, although vampires should never make a person warmer. The tingly sensation flooded over my skin. "He's outside," I said. Willow looked at me strangely. Darting over to the window, we saw him in the front yard. He was walking slowly up the sidewalk, chain smoking. I chuckled. He smoked when he got nervous. It was kind of cute, in a cancerous way. Willow giggled softly as we watched him pace anxiously up and down the walk.

"Think he's nervous?" Willow asked.

"Just a little," I said. "Dawn said some stuff about dates, and I think it got him nervous."

"Is this a date?" Willow asked. I shrugged. I didn't know what this thing tonight was. I just knew I suddenly wanted to spend time with Spike. Public time, semi-private time, _really_ private time, it all seemed like a good idea to me. I watched out the window as Spike crushed his last cigarette and stalked to the door. I heard Dawn yell up to me, and I looked to Willow.

"Time to go down there?" she asked. I bit my lip to keep from grinning.

"Probably shouldn't keep everyone waiting," I said. Willow laughed and rolled her eyes at me as I all but danced out of the room.

I felt like a teenager at Prom, waiting upstairs until my date showed up. I could hear Xander's voice from downstairs, probably insulting Spike in one way or another. I frowned. If Spike and I pursued something, they'd have to learn to get along.

Will went down the stairs ahead of me, so at first I couldn't see the people gathered downstairs. Xander and Anya stood by the coat rack, holding hands. Dawn, Tara, and Giles stood in the living room doorway, chatting quietly about something. And Spike stood in the open doorway, just outside my house. I'd disinvited him. Then I'd forgotten.

"Come in, Spike," I said quietly as my feet hit the floor. I swear I've never seen him smile that broadly before. He had these adorable little dimples, and his eyes crinkled at the corners.

"Look at that," he murmured, crossing the threshold. He crossed the few steps between us. He fidgeted shyly, and not for the first time, I was amazed at the difference between Big Bad Spike and this other, shy, awkward Spike. I thought both were pretty cute. "You look beau'iful, love."

"Thank you," I said, ducking my head. I could feel the Scoobies' eyes on me. Glancing away from Spike, it finally registered with me that Giles was there.

"You're mingling with the kids tonight, Giles?" I teased.

"Well, if Spike plans on joining us-" Really, if he frowned any deeper, his face would stick that way. "- Then I shall be far younger than the oldest being there.'

"'M still prettier 'n you, Rupes," Spike said. I glanced up at him through my lashes, smiling.

"Are we all ready to go?" Dawn asked with that ever-present smirk.

"Yeah, I just need to get my purse," I said, dashing up the stairs. My purse was sitting on one of the dining room chairs. I leaned against the doorway of my bedroom for a few minutes until Dawn yelled up at me.

"I can't find it!" I yelled. "Spike, will you come help me look?" I heard his boots on the stairs, and a second later I saw him. I took the time to really look at him while he walked towards me. His hair was spiked up in messy curls, and he was still wearing that white shirt. But he'd added the chocolate brown leather coat I'd seen a few weeks ago and, amazingly enough, dark blue jeans. He looked amazing.

"Thought you were lookin' for your bag, pet?" Spike said.

"My bag's downstairs," I said.

"So why're we…" I raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh." I grinned and grabbed him by the lapel. His lips mashed against mine as his hands found my hips.

"God, you taste good," I mumbled against his lips.

"Tha's my line," he said, pulling away from me. He pressed a long, cool finger to my lips and walked away. I opened my mouth to argue when he paused at the top of the stairs. "Slayer's room's a mess," he said. Crap, Willow had just cleaned my room. But she'd keep her mouth shut, right? "This might take awhile. You go on ahead an' we'll catch up."

I heard Xander argue briefly, but something Dawn said shut him up, because I heard the front door open and close. Spike waited a beat, and then turned back towards me. His shoulders dropped into a predatory hunch and he stalked his way down the hall. His eyes flashed cobalt as he grabbed me. He was almost rough, but not quite, as he pressed me up against the wall and bent to devour my lips. God, he felt so good. I was vaguely aware of my arms winding around his neck as his tongue made love to mine. One of my legs to wind around his hip, and he growled into me. Wow, Summers, from shy to sex-kitten in thirty seconds. New record.

He broke away with a gasp, tossing his head back. I let my lips wander down the smooth column of his neck, tasting the salty flavor of his skin. I found Drusilla's sire ark on one side and sucked on it, lightly nibbling over the skin. I wanted to bite down, erase the memory of her from his body. Spike growled deep in his chest and pulled me off. His eyes were nearly black.

"You need to stop that unless you plan on finishin' it," he panted.

"Finishing what?" I asked. I was as breathless as he was.

"You ought not bight a vamp's sire mark 'nless you wan' 'im t'," he trailed off. I could've sworn he was blushing, and my eyes dropped down to see a rather impressive-looking bulge developing in his jeans. I immediately untangled my leg from around him, and he sighed, in either relief or disappointment.

"Oh," I said, straightening my dress. I smiled flirtatiously and glanced up at him through my lashes. "I'll have to remember that," I purred. "But we should get going." I left him with a small kiss and a grope of his tight butt, and then sprinted down the stairs. I managed to grab my purse before he caught me, swinging me around in his arms. I laughed loudly and clung to him long after he'd set me back on my feet.

"You're gorgeous, do you know that?" he whispered into my hair. "Can- can I tell you?"

I frowned. Tell me what? Then it dawned on me. The shining hope in his eyes, the wide smile I'd never seen this much, the awed whisper of his voice. He loved me; I knew that. But I wasn't ready for him to say that right now. If I was falling in love with him- and that funny flutter in my stomach was suggesting it- I wanted some time to say it. And Spike- he was a good guy; he deserved to be loved back.

"Not yet, please?" I said, touching his cheek. He leaned into my hand, nuzzling it like a kitten. "I want- I've got feelings for you, okay? But… I'm still trying to figure out what exactly those feelings are. And… if you yell me whatever it is you want to tell me- a-and I've got a pretty good idea of what that is- but if you tell me now, I'm afraid my feelings will get mixed up in yours."

He nodded, staring at his shoes. I touched the edge of his jaw and tilted his face up to look at me. "I don't know about you," I said, "but I'm scared. I'm absolutely, shaking-in-my-boots terrified."

"Why?" he asked, tilting his head to study me.

"You weren't my favorite person a few days ago," I said slowly. "Mostly because you have this habit of acting before you think." I smiled up at him, and the corners of his lips turned up. "I told you that I wanted to take this slow, and I do. I'm afraid of what I'm feeling, of how fast I'm feeling things. I haven't… it's been awhile since I've felt things like this. I don't want to rush into something and screw everything up."

He nodded slowly. "An' you would,' he teased me. His hands were on my hips, holding me to him gently. His arms tightened and rose to pull me flush against his body in a hug. I sighed and rested my head on his chest happily.

"Okay, so we take this slow, huh?" he murmured. "So, uh… how do we take it slow?"

I laughed and took his hand in mine. "How about we talk for a bit on our way to the Bronze?" I suggested. He kissed my knuckles and opened the door.

"Sounds good to me, pet," he said.

"So what's your favorite color?"


	3. Chapter 3

~Thanks for all the reviews! Here's some more, just for you! there's a little bit of tame smuttiness in this one, so if you're not into that sort of thing, you should probably turn back now. the next chapter- which you will only get if you give me lots and lots of reviews- puts this one to shame.

any disclaimer i had before still stands

oh, and i should explain something- i altered the whole Glory/Ben spell thingamajig so that it only applies to Dawn. You'll get it when you get there. Enjoy!

* * *

Spike and I took the long route to the Bronze, talking about everything. It took a little prodding- and I mean literally, turns out he's really ticklish- but I got him to tell me about William and his life before he got vamped. He went to Oxford, which surprised me since Spike always acted like he didn't know anything, and he'd been nobility. He still wouldn't tell me his full name, but I thought it was a step in the right direction.

The Scoobies had been at the Bronze awhile when we finally got there. I led Spike to the table, still holding his hand, but he let go as we approached the table. I frowned back at him and he shrugged, nodding towards my friends.

"Jeez, Buff, take you long enough?" Xander called to us.

"We walked slow," I said, shrugging. Xander raised an eyebrow at me and Spike, eyes darting between us.

"Damn," he muttered, pulling two bills out of his pocket and handing one each to Willow and Dawn. The girls giggled brightly and pocketed them. "Spike, you've got a hickey," he said sullenly, pointing to a spot on his neck. I looked over at Spike, and sure enough, there was a round purple bruise on his neck, just over his sire mark.

"Whoops," I laughed. Spike just grinned cockily at Xander.

"Got a problem with that, Harris?" he all but growled.

"I've been told that even if I have reservations about whatever you two are doing, I should keep my mouth shut," Xander said. "And that since I'm in love with an ex-demon, I'm not allowed to judge anyone."

"Exactly," Anya said, patting his arm.

"O-okay, then," I said. "So I guess you guys had a group chat huh?"

"Yes, quite," Giles said, holding his usual glass of scotch. "And while I don't know that any of us are thrilled about you having a relationship with another vampire-"

"Hey! I'm thrilled!" Dawn interjected.

"Spike's not Angel," I said automatically, ignoring my sister. I stepped back, running into Spike intentionally. His hand braced my hips and I wound my fingers through his.

"No one's arguing that point, Buffy," Giles said. "We're just concerned."

"I keep telling them they don't need to be concerned," Dawn said. "You're a big girl; you can take care of yourself."

"She's right," I said. "And I appreciate your concern. But whatever's happening between me and Spike will or will not happen regardless of what you guys do. So, and don't take this the wrong way, but stay out of it. This is between us." I squeezed Spikes' hands in what I hoped felt like reassurance. His arms tightened around me, so he must have gotten the message.

"That sounds… reasonable," Giles said slowly. "And… Dawn did mention that you were going to take it slowly? I don't think it's wise for you to get involved with anyone romantically before this Glory situation is dealt with."

"Relax, Watcher," Spike rumbled from behind me. "Your Slayer's got a good head on 'er shoulders. Let her use it." I smiled in spite of myself.

"Spike-" Giles began hotly. Tara placed a calm hand on his arm. I could barely hear what she said to him.

"She's smiling," Tara said. "When was the last time you saw her do that? Let her be happy." I glanced back at Spike and saw him toss a wink at Tara. She blushed bright red, and I marveled at the dual nature of her. Sometimes Tara was strong and confident, other times she was meeker than a church mouse.

"Let's go get a drink, Xander," Anya suggested. "Then you can stop brooding over Buffy's choice in sexual partners." Xander spluttered as Anya tugged him towards the bar.

"Dance with me?" Spike asked, whispering in my ear. Shivers ran down my spine and I turned around. Nodding, I let Spike lead me away from my friends, towards the dance floor. He led me to a shadowy corner of the floor and wrapped me tight in his arms. Our bodies melded together and I laid my head against his solid chest. I felt him rest his head atop mine, and a deep rumble started in his chest. I leaned my head back to look at him.

"Are you… purring?" I asked.

"No!" he said, affronted. "I do not _purr_."

"Maybe you _don't_, baby, but you _are,"_ I laughed. He did his best 'grr' face, but the purring didn't stop. "Aw, you're purring like a happy, fluffy kitten," I teased, scratching his stomach.

"I do not purr," he pouted, crossing his arms. That yummy lower lip stuck out, just begging for me to suck on it. So I did. I leaned in and drew his pouty lip between my teeth, sucking on the skin until I could feel his grin.

"Am I forgiven?" I asked, still holding on to his mouth. He laughed a deep, throaty chuckle and kissed me back. "I'll keep your purring between us, okay?" I said against his lips.

"You better," he said. "'S all I need the demon world to find out. Big Bad Master Spike _purrs_ when he's happy with his girl."

"Damn straight he does," I said. "And since the girl you're dating is the Slayer, I think your reputation's kinda shot, baby."

"So we're dating, then?" he asked, cocking his head down at me. "And… did you just call me baby?"

"Couple of times," I laughed. "And yeah, we're dating. I mean, if you want to-"

He cut me off with a hard kiss, his hand at my back pressing me to him. His other hand wound through my hair as I parted my lips to let him in. My hands found their way under his jacket, sliding over the hard planes of his back. If he looked as good naked as he did clothed, I was in trouble. Or he was, 'cuz once I got him out of those jeans, it might be awhile before he got them back on.

He pulled away to let me breathe and rested his forehead against mine. "Yes," he murmured. "I want to be with you, you silly girl. 'S all I've wanted-"

"How long?" I asked. If I was being completely honest, my attraction to him when back to the night in the Bronze, when he told me he'd kill me on Saturday. Before I found out he was a vampire, I had fully intended on going back to find him and chatting him up. After, especially after the disaster with Angel I'd done my best to push my attraction to him away. But every time we fought, it got thrown in my face how well matched we were. Move for move, Spike and I just fit; we worked together.

Then, when he got chipped, I felt such anger at the Initiative for him. The chip was a good thing, ultimately, because it let him be the man instead of the monster, but I couldn't help the seething anger that arose every time I thought about it. Those arrogant, weak humans dared to cage something as wild and beautiful as William the Bloody. But now, as I swayed in his strong arms, I couldn't help but be a little grateful to them. Without that chip, he'd probably still be trying to kill me.

"Since the first time I saw you," he murmured. Okay, so maybe he wouldn't still be trying to kill me. "You were here, dancing with the Scoobies," he said. We were swaying slightly, though the music was too fast for a slow dance.

"Since then?"

"Sweetheart, you've had me since the first second," he said. "The way you move, the way you fight, it's like poetry, pet. How could I not fall in love with you?"

"But you tried to kill me," I pointed out. "Several times."

"I din't say I realized you had me," he said. "I didn't realize what I felt till a couple months ago. Dru did, though. 'S why she left. Said I was 'covered in you'."

"Riley thought we were much closer than enemies should be," I said. He looked surprised. "So you're covered in me, huh? Explains Harmony, then. Had to find yourself a blonde ex-cheerleader, didn't you?"

He groaned. "God, what was I thinking?" I laughed and rested my head on his chest.

"Aw, how nauseating," a voice said from behind us. I spun around to see Glory sneering at us. "Did your girlfriend tend your wounds, vampire?" Her tone was mocking. I felt Spike stiffen behind me, and the soothing purr dissolved into a feral growl. "Y'know, its' a shame I didn't know you two were screwing before," Glory continued. "I would've had more fun torturing the Slayer's fucktoy."

"What do you want, hell bitch?" I growled.

"My Key, duh," she said. "God, are you always this stupid?" She tossed her bad-home-perm hair and put her hands on her hips. "Now, are you going to give me my Key?"

"My plan was actually to kill you," I said cocking one hip and crossing my arms.

"Honey, it'll be a cold day in hell when you or your little book club kills me," she said.

"Looks like it's getting chilly then," I said, snapping a sudden roundhouse to her face. She reeled, and I advanced, trying to get as many hits in as I could. She recovered a lot faster than I expected, and I found myself slumped against the wall from her blow. Spike took my face, his demonic face taking over his human one as he landed blow after blow.

Something started happening to Glory. Spike had her pinned, straddling her hips and pounding her face with his fist. She looked like she was having a seizure or something. Then suddenly, she was Ben, the doctor who'd tried to help my mom. I realized Glory had been wearing hospital scrubs, like the ones Ben usually wore. Spike landed another punch before he realized what happened, and he instantly recoiled with a shout of pain. He clutched his head as he scrambled away from Ben.

"What the bleeding hell?" he growled. I grabbed his arm, pulling him away from Ben. I towed him back to where my friends had gathered.

"Glory," I panted as I helped Spike into a chair. His head was obviously still killing him, because he hadn't shifted out of game face. His demon handled pain better.

"She's here?" Giles asked, jumping to his feet.

"She's Ben," I said. "O-or Ben's her, I dunno. They share the same body or something."

"What's wrong with Spike?" Dawn asked.

"Was hittin' the hell bitch," he growled. "Hell bitch turned into Doctor-boy. Chip fired."

"Wait, huh?" Dawn asked "What about Ben?"

"Ben is Glory, Glory is Ben," I said slowly.

"What?" Dawn asked again. Was she dense?

"She's the Key," Spike said quietly. "Glory coulda done a spell on 'erself t' keep the Key from seein' the fact that her and the doctor are the same."

"Okay, Willow, Tara, I need you to get Dawn out of here," I ordered. "And can you see if there's some kind of spell on Dawn that keeps her from getting the whole Ben-Glory thing?"

"Yeah," Willow said, standing. "Let's go, Dawnie."

"Be safe," I called after them. They all but ran out of the building, not looking back.

"Buffy, I think there is one very important thing we haven't considered," Giles said.

"What?" I asked. I glanced at Spike. He'd shifted back to his human face, but his jaw was set in a way that I knew meant that he was still in pain.

"If Glory and Ben share a body, and Ben is completely human-"

"He is," Spike growled. "Trust me, he's human."

"If he's mortal, he can be killed," Giles said. I frowned deeply and sat down next to Spike.

"You want me to kill a human?" I asked breathlessly.

"He's Glory, Buff," Xander said.

"He's the doctor that tried to save my mom," I countered.

"You'd let one man live and risk the world?" Giles asked.

"Glory wants to kill Dawn," Xander said from his cozy spot next to Anya. I felt Spike's cool hand on my knee, offering whatever support he could. "It's not a hard choice, Buffy."

"If it's so damn easy, you do it!" I yelled, standing. "Slayers do not. Kill. Humans. Or do we all forget Faith?"

"This is not an innocent we're talking about, Buffy," Giles said. "This man is not natural. He is a vessel for the creature that wants you dead."

"No," I said, choking on tears. "I can't."

"Spike," Anya said, moving away from Xander. He looked at her, cocking an eyebrow. "They can't do this. We can."

"Chipped, ducks," he reminded her. "An' I can't beat Glory alone."

"You could hit Ben hard enough to knock him out, right?" Anya asked. Spike nodded, grimacing, probably at the thought of the headache that would result. "I could take care of him if he wasn't fighting back," Anya said.

"Ahn, what are you talking about?" Xander asked.

"I could kill him," Anya said. "He wouldn't be my first, Xander. I've killed thousands. One more won't stain my soul."

"I can't ask you to do that, Anya," I said.

"You don't have to," Anya said. "I like this world. And I like you. You've saved my life numerous times. And Dawn, when she isn't using that whiny voice she gets sometimes, is quite humorous to have around." She smiled at me. "I might not be like Willow, with her book smarts and socially repressed inner monologue, but I know what's right and wrong. And if killing one man is going to save people I care about, I have no problem in doing it."

"Thank-"

"You think you can just run from me?" Glory's voice yelled. I whipped around to see her toss the pool table behind the couch Spike still sat on to the side. A quick pause for the requisite crowd screaming-and-running routine and she crossed the floor to us. Spike leapt over the back of the couch, grabbing her by the throat and tossing her at the stage.

"Go," he ordered me, turning around.

"No, you can't take her on your own," I said, standing in front of him. A ruckus from the stage caught my attention. Arms and legs were emerging from the pile of debris Glory had landed on, but it was Ben that climbed out.

"Leave this to the demons," Anya said, stepping up to Spike's side.

"If Glory comes back out, she could kill you," I argued. Growling in frustration, Spike grabbed me and hauled me to him for a hard, ferocious kiss.

"I love you," he whispered harshly. "I'll be okay. Now go." He pushed me away, and Giles and Xander grabbed my hands, pulling me towards the stairs. We ran to the upper level of the club, watching as Ben climbed awkwardly down from the stage. Spike said something to Anya and shifted into game-face. He clenched his fists and burst into a run at Ben. He hit Ben like a Mack truck, and the sickening sound of bone breaking echoed loudly. Ben slumped lifelessly to the floor as Spike howled in pain. Anya dropped to Ben's side, checking for a pulse. His neck was bent at an awkward angle. Spike was on the floor, both hands pressed to his forehead. I leapt from the balcony, landing next to him like a cat.

"Spike?" I crouched next to him, pressing my hand to his forehead. He wasn't moving. "Spike, open your eyes." Nothing. "C'mon, baby, don't do this. Open your eyes for me, Sweetie." I could barely see through the tears in my eyes. Could the chip kill him? He'd just killed, albeit a righteous kill; could the chip punish him severely enough to dust him?

"Spike, baby, I need you to open your eyes for me," I begged. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. I'd never been so happy to see those bright blue irises as I did just then. "Hi," I whispered.

"Ow," he said weakly. I chuckled, relieved he was okay. "Did I get 'im?"

"You did good, baby," I said, smiling down at him.

"Buffy, we need to get out of here," Anya said. "Ben's dead, and the cops are on their way."

"Xander, help me," I said, lifting Spike gently. I looped one arm across my shoulders and Xander took the other. "My house," I ordered. Xander nodded, and we made our way out of the club.

By the time we made it to my house, Spike was barely conscious. Xander helped me carry him up to my bedroom and we laid him out on my bed. I pulled off Spike's boots and covered him with a blanket while the Scoobies hovered in the hallway. Spike grabbed for my hand weakly, and I pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Go to sleep, honey," I said. He nodded tiredly and closed his eyes.

"Is he okay?" Dawn asked once I walked outside and shut the door. I nodded.

"He'll be fine," I said. "He just needs to sleep off the migraine."

"Then what?" Giles asked. "Buffy, he's killed."

I rounded on him. "Because _you_ told me to!" God, I could wring his neck. Sure, it's okay for me to kill a human vessel for a god, and he had no objection to Anya doing it, but when Spike did, I was supposed to kill him for it?

"You're the Slayer, Buffy," Giles said, all too calmly. "It's your job."

"If Anya had been the one to do it, would you have told me to kill her?" I asked. "If I hadn't been able to kill Ben and no one else would do it, would you have killed him, Ripper?" Hurt passed over Giles' face. I couldn't really care less. "You've all killed demons for me before. Why is this different?"

"It's different-"

"Cut the crap, Giles," Willow snapped. "You're pissed because Buffy wants to date Spike, and you don't approve. So now you're reaching. Spike did what needed to be done. We should throw a party for him, not kill him."

"Yes, but-"

"He's not Angel," I said. "He's not going to take off in the middle of the night. And he's sure as hell not Angelus. He's not going to go evil on me and kill us all in our beds. He's not going to lose his soul-"

"If his chip ever deactivates-" Giles started.

"_If_ the chip stops working, we'll deal with it then," I interrupted. "No, scratch that. _I'll_ deal with it. He can be a good man, Giles. I know it." I looked around at the rest of the group. I knew they still weren't completely convinced I was acting rationally about Spike. "You guys didn't see him after Glory tortured him. He was destroyed; he was half-dead. And he was still worried about me and Dawn. He said Glory couldn't know about the Key because losing Dawn would kill me and he couldn't let me get hurt like that. He was bleeding from every part of his body and he kept trying to protect me. Tell me, Giles, would you have taken a beating like that? Would you have died keeping Dawn's secret?"

"What kind of torture he endured is beside the point," he said. "Buffy, he's not a man. He's a vampire."

"And I think I'm falling in love with him," I said quietly. Collective gasps all around.

"Buffy, you can't possibly be serious," Giles said.

"That's funny, 'cuz I am," I said. Giles was staring at me, shock all over his face. "So do it again, Giles. Tell me to kill the man I love. I'm sure Quentin Travers would be very proud of you."

"Buffy, I'm your Watcher, it's my job to protect you," he said.

"Not anymore," I said, almost too quiet for anyone to hear. "I don't need a Watcher anymore, Giles. And I sure as hell don't need a protector."

"What are you saying?" Giles asked. The Scoobies had backed off, now watching from the doorway to Dawn's room.

"I'm saying maybe you're taught me all you can," I said. I saw the hurt pass over his eyes again and I sighed. "Giles, you're the best Watcher I could've asked for. You've been like a father to me and the gang. But I'm not a child, and I don't need you to take me by the hand every time a decision needs to be made."

"I think you're making a mistake," he said.

"Then it's my mistake to make," I said. "Just trust me to know what I'm doing." Giles didn't look convinced. "Please?"

He sighed deeply, eyes darting from my face, to my closed bedroom door, to the floor. "I cannot condone this relationship. But if it's what you want, I will keep my opinions to myself."

"Thank you," I said slowly. Giles pulled me into a very un-Giles-like hug.

"I just worry, you know," he said.

"Yeah, I know," I said. He pulled away, taking off his glasses to clean them. Seriously, did they even get dirty? He cleaned them so much, it's not like they ever had a chance to get anything on them.

"Buffy?" Dawn asked from the doorway.

"Hey," I said. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she said, nodding. She walked towards me and I pulled her into a tight hug. She was safe. She was still the Key, but a crazy hell-god wasn't after her anymore. She could be a normal kid now.

"Buffy," she croaked. "Need those ribs."

"Oh! Sorry," I said, releasing her. "I'm just glad you're safe."

"And it's really over?" she asked.

"Yep, Glory's dead," I said.

"There was a cloaking spell on Dawn," Willow said. "Tara and I lifted it."

"Okay, good," I said. I looked to Dawn. "So you get the whole Glory-Ben thing?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's still weird, but I get it," Dawn said. "And Spike killed Ben, right?"

"Yeah," I said. "He did good. Now he's just gotta sleep off the headache."

"He'll be hungry when he wakes up."

"There's some blood in the freezer," I said. "I think… Mom got it for him."

"We'll have to keep a stock for him," Dawn said. I nodded, smiling. At least I didn't have to fight Dawn over this.

"Dawnster, are you over that little crush of yours?" Xander asked, a little too casually.

"It'd be kind of pointless, now wouldn't it?" she said. "Besides, he's too old for me. And… there's this guy Nick in my English class-"

The door to my bedroom opened. Spike stepped out, bleary-eyed and barefoot. "You lot are a right ruckus, y'know that?" he said huskily.

"Sorry," I said, moving over to stand in front of him. "How do you feel?"

"Like me skull's been cracked in half," he said, rubbing his forehead. I reached a hand up to run it through his hair and he nuzzled against my touch.

"Okay," I said, taking one of his hands in mine. "Guys? Can you go downstairs?" They nodded and moved towards the stairs. I pulled Spike back into my room. "C'mon, you, back to bed." Spike stumbled along behind me, falling into bed as soon as he got close enough to do so. I kicked off my shoes and climbed in next to him.

"'M tired," he mumbled, sprawling on my bed. I chuckled and cuddled up next to him.

"Then go to sleep, Sweetheart," I said. He rolled over to face me.

"Don' wan' sleep alone," he said, looking at me sleepily.

"Lemme change my clothes," I said. I climbed out of bed and padded to the door. I embraced the giddy teenager within me and slid down the banister. "I'm going to bed," I announced as soon as my feet hit the floor. "G'night!" I didn't wait for their answer, instead bolting back upstairs. I locked my door behind me and pulled off my dress.

"Let's get you comfy," I said, sauntering half-naked over to the bed. Spike sat up slowly and I stripped off his jacket and shirt. "Take the belt off but leave the jeans," I said, slipping my arms into the sleeves of his shirt. I fastened up a couple buttons as he unbuckled his belt and slid it out through the loops. Once he was done, Spike dropped the belt to the floor with a clatter.

My hands were shaking as I pushed on his shoulders to make him lie down. I slipped in next to him, sliding under the covers. He kicked and fidgeted until he was under the covers too.

"C'mere," he said, holding his arm out. I scooted over closer, pillowing my head on his bicep. I slipped a leg over his, my foot brushing his skin. "Your feet are cold," he said quietly.

"My feet are cold? You do realize the temperature of _your_ skin, right?" Regardless of how cold he was, I cuddled up close to him. The cold aside, his skin felt so good, so soft and hard at the same time. I ran my hand across his chest, down to the firm flesh of his belly. He really is built like a brick house. I wondered if he was always built like this or if it was a vampire thing.

"You're not sleeping," he mumbled. I looked up at his pretty face. His eyes were closed and that yummy mouth of his was open slightly. I leaned up and pressed a small kiss to his lips.

"Sorry, I'm going to sleep right now," I murmured. He mumbled something incoherent and I cuddled in closer to him, closing my eyes. I was asleep in minutes.

I woke up some time later when the bed dipped down and a solid, cool form pressed against my back. I kept my eyes closed, playing possum, as Spike spooned against me, laying one arm across my waist. His hand splayed on my belly under his shirt. The coolness of his skin had me tingling. I felt his breath on my neck, and he used his other hand to brush the hair out of the way. Cool lips pressed to the skin of the nape of my neck and I couldn't hold back a shiver.

"Where'd you go?" I asked sleepily.

"Was feelin' a bit peckish," he said. "Went downstairs. Niblet left some blood for me in the fridge."

"How's your head?" I asked, turning around to face him. He reached a hand up to brush the hair off my face.

"Better," he said, leaning in. He kissed first one corner of my mouth, then the other. He'd started purring again. "Wakin' up next to you 'll cure all ills."

"Glad I could be of service," I murmured. He hummed in response, kissing the tip of my nose, my forehead, and both of my eyes.

"You're absolutely perfect, you know that?" he breathed. I reached up to grab his head and force his lips to mine. He moaned low in his throat and opened his mouth to let me in. His hand slipped under my shirt, coming to rest at the small of my back. I moved my leg up over his hip, anchoring him to me as his tongue stroked mine. The hand on my back moved to my knee, sliding higher slowly. When he got to my ass and squeezed firmly, I broke away from the kiss with a gasp.

"Wait, Spike," I gasped. "Stop." He pulled away immediately, his eyes searching my lust-clouded ones.

"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning.

"I'm just… I'm not ready," I said. His frown faded, his eyes softening.

"Okay, love," he said. "All you had to do was say so."

"Really?" I asked, amazed. "You're okay with waiting?"

"What good would it do if I forced you to do something you're not ready for?" he asked. "If and when you give yourself to me, I want it to be on your terms, pet. I'll wait an eternity if I 'ave to."

God, I loved him. The way he said that, completely truthful- because Spike is a terrible liar- was so wonderful and perfect. No man had ever thought about what I wanted like that. Angel, during my disastrous deflowering, had been sweet and loving, but once you got him started, he didn't really stop. And Riley had always been worried about me while we had sex, constantly asking if what he was doing was good, if I liked it. But the first time we were together wasn't really on my terms. He'd slept with Faith when she was in my body, and then he got it into his head that the best solution was to show me how much he cared with his body. So, even though I wasn't really ready, I slept with him. And let's not even mention that asshole Parker.

"Thank you," I breathed, kissing him chastely. "I promise I won't keep you waiting for an eternity."

"Good, cuz I'm not sure I could last that long," he chuckled. I laughed quietly with him, nuzzling his nose with mine.

"I'm not ready for all of it, but I wouldn't be opposed to second base," I murmured, rubbing the back of his leg with my heel.

"'S that right?" he said, curling his tongue behind his teeth. The next thing I knew, I was flat on my back and he was unbuttoning my shirt while he pressed wet kisses down my throat. His palms found my breasts and I arched into his touch.

I moaned his name as quietly as I could. One hand slid beneath the cup of my bra to glide over my sensitive nipple as he sucked on my pulse point. I'd probably have a hickey in the morning, but that was okay. He continued to worship my skin with his mouth and hands until we both got sleepy again. We drifted off wrapped in each other, snuggled deep in the covers.


	4. Chapter 4

This is the last, my loves. and i saved the best for last, since this bit is pretty much just straight smut. have fun! rated M- so if you're under 17, please don't read it. i dont want to be responsible for corrupting you.

* * *

I woke up again a little before dawn and got up to close the curtains. Cuddling back into Spike's arms, I slept the morning away. When I finally woke up, I felt more rested than I had in months. Spike was already awake, watching me as I lay I his arms.

"Morning," he murmured, kissing me gently. I wanted to open my mouth to let him in deeper, but then I remembered my morning breath. I covered my mouth with one hand.

"Morning," I said, the word muffled.

"Sweetheart, what are you doin'?" His smile made me want to kiss him again.

"I have morning breath, and you have super-vampire-smelling-powers," I said, still covering my mouth.

"I don't care," he said, trying to move my hand.

"Well I do," I countered. "Just let me go brush my teeth." He laughed but let me go. I climbed out of bed and padded quickly to the door. Spike was right behind me.

"What?" he asked when I turned around. "You can want to brush your teeth but I can't? 'Ve got blood breath." He pushed me out the door to by bathroom. I found a spare toothbrush, still in the package, and handed it to him. He tore it open and started brushing his teeth, perched on the counter. He watched me closely while I brushed my own teeth.

"Shtop it," I said, toothbrush still in my mouth.

"Shtop what?" I blushed under his gaze. He stood, sliding off the counter lightly.

"Stop watching me like that," I said once I'd spat into the sink. I rinsed and glanced up at the mirror. My hair was bed-mussed and my makeup from the night before was smeared. "Guh, so that's why you were staring," I grumbled. He leaned past me to spit in the sink and rinsed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You're beautiful," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist. As usual, he didn't show up in the mirror.

"I look like a cheap hooker," I said, turning on the faucet and wetting a washcloth.

"Eh, I like cheap hookers," he said. I glared at where I thought he would be through the mirror while I washed the makeup residue off. "Joking, I'm joking, love," he said, kissing the side of my neck.

"Jerk," I mumbled, drying off my face.

"I still think you're gorgeous."

"I think you got dropped on your head," I countered. He turned me around in his arms.

"Can I kiss you now, since we're all minty fresh?" he asked. I smiled reluctantly and wound my arms around his neck. He grinned crookedly and claimed my mouth with his.

"I don't know about you, but I don't want to be out of bed yet," I said, taking his hands in mine. I led him back to my bedroom, pulling off the shirt I was wearing as he sat down on the edge of my bed.

"Gotta say, I like that on you," he said, staring at my scantily-clad body. His eyes were dark with lust. "But I think I'd like it better off of you."

I bit my lower lip and frowned while he looked over my body appraisingly. There was no hint of disappointment or displeasure in his eyes, only awed happiness. "I have to ask you something," I said. He looked up at me, expression instantly concerned and brows furrowed. "This- what we're doing here… it's not just about sex for you, right? You can't kill your third Slayer so you'll screw her instead or-"

"No!" he said, standing. "No, Buffy, love, that's not what this is." He took my shoulders in hand and guided me to sit down on the bed. He knelt in front of me, his hands resting on my knees.

"At first, yeah, I figured it was just my dick talkin'," he said. "You're gorgeous, and strong, and we match. So I figured it was jus' me wantin' t' shag your brains out 'cuz I couldn't kill you." He glanced down at the floor, smiling a bit. "The dreams din't help."

"Dreams?"

"Kept havin' dreams 'bout you," he said, eyes twinkling at me. "Naughty dreams 'bout the Slayer no Master vampire should have. Mostly it was jus' me shaggin' you till you couldn' walk. But then…" He reached a hand up and brushed the length of my face with his knuckles. "Then I started dreamin' 'bout bein' _with_ you. Like yesterday with Dawn. Jus' bein' close to you, talkin' an' such. An' then you started lettin' me closer in your life. When your Mum got sick, God rest 'er, an' when Finn took off, you let me in."

"I meant what I said last night," he said. I was close to tears when he took my hands in his and kissed each of my bony knuckles. "I can wait 's long as you need, kitten. I jus' wanna be good to you."

"You have been good to me," I murmured.

"I prob'ly won't always be," he said. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I don' always think, an' I say shite I don't mean. An' I can't ever give you a normal life, kids an' whatnot."

"Normal and me didn't really mix well," I said, smiling at him. I leaned in to nuzzle his nose with mine. "And I'll probably be a bad girlfriend. I mean, all my exes leave town."

"They weren't me, sweets," he said, crooked grin in place. "I don't leave. Not unless you tell me to. As long 's you want me, 'm here. I wouldn't 've left Dru if she hadn't made me."

"Little tip," I said, pursing my lips. "Don't talk about the woman you were with for a hundred years while you've got your current half-naked and on a bed, 'kay?"

"Sorry," he said, taking my hand again, this time kissing my fingertips. There wasn't a place on my body that he didn't love, didn't lavish with attention. "If it helps, she's got nothin' on you. You, my love, are so sweet and strong, and completely sane, which is a nice change. She doesn't hold a candle to you."

I leaned down and kissed him softly. Pulling away, I laid down on the bed, holding my arms out. "Come here," I whispered. He stood, moving to the other side of the bed. "No," I said. "I want you with me." I stood up, wrapping my arms around his neck. I kissed him slowly, tasting and memorizing the flavor of him. I pulled him down onto the bed with me and he stretched his body over mine. One of his knees parted mine as he propped most of his weight off of me with his arms. I didn't want that; I wanted to feel him, heavy on top of me. My hands pulled him down and my legs rose, locking around his waist.

"We should…" he gulped. "I don' wan' t' rush you, love."

"You're not," I said. "I want you, Spike."

"Say it," he begged. I knew what he wanted to hear.

"Love me, Spike," I said. "Please. I want you to-"

He cut me off with a burning kiss. His hands flew over my skin, teasing me and setting me aflame. I could feel his growing erection pressing insistently against me, and I grabbed his shoulders. I flipped us over so I was astride his hips, our lips still fused. I panted for breath as he trailed his lips down my throat. He felt so good. Every touch, every kiss, all the little murmurs escaping his through were perfect. I'd never been touched the way he touched me. And I'd definitely never been this turned on. Even when I'd wanted to before, the prospect of making love to someone had never gotten me this aroused. The flood between my legs only increased when Spike bent his head to kiss the flesh of my breast along the edge of my bra. I reached back, unhooking the clasp of my bra and sliding the straps down my arms. I tossed the scrap of fabric away and looked down at him.

I automatically blushed under his gaze. I was sure no one had ever looked at me the way he was now. His eyes were nearly black with want as his hands rose to take each of my breasts in his touch. My back arched instinctively as he thumbed my nipples to excruciating hardness. He dropped his head to suck on one, and I cried out at the delicious feeling.

"You like that?" he rumbled. I could only gasp in response as he devoured my flesh. "Could suck on your lovely little tits for decades, love," he said, moving to my neglected breast. I moaned loudly, my hands gripping his shoulders roughly. "All the little sounds you make, pet. They're intoxicating."

Finally, it was too much. I pried him away from my breasts and pushed him down onto his back. Sliding down his body, I unbuttoned his fly slowly. When my hand just barely skimmed over his erection, he jerked and let out a small whimper. "Sensitive, are we?" I teased. I leaned down and bit his hip. He moaned and thrashed under me. Okay, note to self: turned-on Spike is really sexy. The sounds he made had me wanting to skip foreplay altogether so I could just have him in me.

He fidgeted as I eased his jeans down over his hips and pulled them off his legs. When I moved back up to his level, I gasped. I wasn't exactly inexperienced with the male anatomy, but he was _big. _I wasn't even sure I could take all of him. I glanced up at his face, his smirk firmly in place. He opened his mouth to say something, but it trailed off into a moan when I wrapped my hand around the base of his cock. My fingers barely touched around him, and he moaned again when I started stroking him. He was hard, harder than I'd ever seen anyone, and he bucked his hips as I ran my hand over him.

"Need you," he panted. "Buffy, please?"

"What to you need, baby?" I purred, sucking on his neck while I stroked him.

"Need… t' touch you, kitten," he said. Then suddenly, I was on my back again and his mouth was firmly attached again to one of my nipples. One of his hands moved down to stroke the skin of my belly, and then, oh my god, he was touching me. His fingers slipped beneath the lace of my panties, then finally between my soaking folds.

"How long have you been this wet for me, love?" he asked, his voice a husky growl in my ear. It was by far the sexiest sound I'd ever heard.

"You get me wet every time I see you," I admitted breathlessly. "Please, Spike. Touch me, I need you to-"

"Tell me where you want me to touch you, pet," he said, drawing his hand away. I whimpered in protest, but then he dragged my panties down and off my legs. Before he tossed them aside, he brought the fabric, which had to be soaked in my juices, up to his face and inhaled deeply. "You smell good," he said. "Delicious." His eyes were half-lidded and fierce. "Now, tell your Spike where you need to be touched."

"Everywhere," I gasped, wriggling. My hands were on him right now, but if he didn't stop teasing me soon, I'd have to take care of things myself.

"Be specific, love," he said. He ran his hand slowly over my sensitive mound. I bucked and whined at his touch. "How can I make you scream if I don't know what you need?"

"My pussy," I gasped out. I wasn't usually one for dirty talk, even minor dirty talk, but hey, there's a time for everything. And sometimes, that time is when a formerly evil vampire has you naked and stretched out on your bed. "Please, Spike. I need you to touch my pussy."

"Like this?" he asked, slipping a finger inside me. Ooh, God, it felt good. He found my g-spot instantly, stroking it. "Or like this?" he dropped down and spread my legs with his hands.

"Oh my god!" I screamed, jack-knifing my body when his tongue suddenly delved into my wetness. I curved my body around his head and gripped his shoulders hard. I honestly don't remember what I said or did next, because he started rubbing my clit at the same time as his tongue found my g-spot. I'd never had a man go down on me before, and good lord, was I missing out. Spike was purring again, and the vibrations on my pussy were driving me crazy. When he sucked hard on my clit, I exploded into the most intense orgasm I'd ever had.

I sobbed his name as he licked me, trying to catch every drop. When I was as clean as he wanted me, he rose back to my level, kissing my forehead, nose, cheeks, eyelids, and lips. My hands, weak, wound through his curly hair, trying to anchor him to me.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing me. I accepting his kiss lovingly, trying to pour my emotions into him.

"Oh my god, Spike," I moaned. "No ones-"

"No one's ever tasted you?" he asked, leaning back to look at me. "Those wankers never made you come with their tongues like that?"

"Those wankers never made me come, period," I laughed. "But also, no, they never did that."

"Poofters," he said, "always makin' you get yourself off. With me you'll never have to worry 'bout that, love." He raised himself up on his arms, situating himself between my spread legs. I felt the head of his cock brush over me, and I shivered.

"Go slow," I said. "It's… been awhile."

"How long?" he asked. I counted in my head. There at the end, I was finding excuses not to sleep with Riley.

"Six months? Give or take," I said. He shook his head in disgust.

"Ponce," he said. Then he kissed me sweetly. "Okay, love, I'll go slow. But I'd wager 'm a bit bigger-"

"A _lot_ bigger," I said, tossing him what I hoped was a sultry smile. Apparently it was good enough, because he leered at me. Then he kissed me again and ooooh! I had never felt so stretched and full. Slowly, achingly slowly, he slid all the way inside me. When he was finally in to the hilt, he exhaled loudly and rested his head in the crook of my neck.

"Bloody hell, love," he breathed. We were still a long moment, then he pressed a kiss below my ear. "Are you okay, pet?"

"Yeah," I said breathlessly.

"Kay, I'ma move now," he warned me. The first slow slide of him hurt a little, but by the time he was fully seated within me again, all I felt was good. _He_ felt good, amazing, really. I thought he would be too big, uncomfortable, but he was perfect. He fit me perfectly. His pace was slow, though I knew he wanted faster. After a few long, euphoric moments, I was ready for more too.

"Harder," I moaned. My hands gripped his shoulders, nails biting into his skin as he sped up his thrusts. It was still… not quite enough. But if I lifted my legs... ooh, yeah, that was better. One leg bent at the knee, the other wrapped around his hips. I couldn't keep my voice down as he hit the tender button inside me over and over.

The words coming from his mouth were lewd, profane, obscene, and completely hot. He rambled about everything; how I felt, how much he loved me, what he'd love to do to me, how long he'd love to do it to me. And his hands were constantly on me. He propped himself up with one hand while the other played with my nipples, stroked the skin of my belly, and rubbed my clit. Then he switched hands and did it all over again. It felt absolutely amazing. I felt another colossal orgasm building inside me and I clutched Spike tighter to me.

"Oh my god, Spike," I panted. "I'm gonna- I need to-"

"Come for me, Buffy," he said, his voice so deep I hardly recognized it. "Wanna feel you drenchin' me, love." He thrust into me harder, and when I looked up into his eyes, they were golden. He was barely holding his demon back.

"Do it," I said. "Shift."

"What?" he asked. The echoes of our slapping bodies echoed loudly off my walls. This was by far the most adult thing ever to occur in this room. I never let Riley have sex with me in this bed, even though he stayed over some nights.

"Your eyes are yellow," I said as I pushed back my orgasm. I wanted him to be with me. "Let the demon out."

"No." His voice was strained, tight.

"I want to be with all of you," I said, moaning when his hand slipped down to strum my clit. He was trying to distract me. "Spike," I whined. "Do it. I want to see your demon. Be with me." He shifted with a roar, and damn, if he wasn't beautiful. He held himself off of me, and I knew it was to help keep himself in control. I wanted him a little out of control. I wanted his fangs, at the same time as I had his cock. I wanted to give myself to him, completely.

"Bite me," I murmured. His hips stuttered to a stop.

"No."

"Spike, I trust you. I want you to do it," I said. I reached a hand up to cup his cheek. "I trust you with my life. And damn you, you stupid, stubborn vampire, you made me fall in love with you."

"What?" he asked, switching back to his human face again.

"I said I love you, stupid," I said, kissing him hard. "I love the man and the demon. And now that I've got the man here-" I snapped my hips up, making him groan- "I want the demon here." I tilted my head, exposing the side of my neck that was already scarred.

"You've been bitten here before," he said. He started moving again slowly.

"Erase them" I said, brushing my hair away from my neck. "I want to wear your mark. Only you." He dropped his face down to my neck.

"I- God, Buffy, love," he said. I felt him licking and kissing the skin of my neck, and suddenly the sharp points of his fangs brushed over my throat. He sped up his thrust, and I was on the edge again.

"I love you," he murmured. He moved his fingers over my clit again.

"Love you, Spike," I moaned. "God, Spike, love you. Love this." He didn't need much more encouragement, because the next thing I knew, his fangs sliced into my throat and I exploded into orgasm. I screamed his name as my body tore itself apart, and I felt him find his release too.

When my pounding heart calmed and I came down from my peak of ecstasy, Spike was still fangs-deep in my neck. But he wasn't feeding from me. I felt no tell-tale pull as he drank me. He pulled away, licking the mark on my neck until it closed. He rested on my shoulder, panting breaths he didn't need. I rubbed his back lazily and moved my legs down to wind around his.

"You're amazing," he said quietly. "Never… thought it'd be like that."

"Mmm, you were pretty amazing yourself," I said. He lifted his head off my shoulder, blue eyes looking down at me.

"'M smashin' ya, pet," he said, rolling us over. He was still inside me, and I laid my head down on his chest. His hands ran over my arms and back as his purring started up again. "So much better than the Bot," he murmured, so quiet I almost missed it. I froze. He was really comparing me to that disgusting thing? Right after I made love with him? My heart hurt and I felt like crying. I pulled away from him, holding in my whimper at losing him inside me. I curled up with my back to him, not touching him. I felt so cold.

"Love?"

"Don't call me love," I said. I felt the tears stinging in my eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked. I felt him roll towards me, and when his hand touched my shoulder, I flinched away. "Buffy," he said. "Love, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"I'm so glad I'm a better lay than your sex toy," I bit out as my tears started to fall. Spike swore quietly behind me.

"No, sweetheart, I din't mean it like that," he said. "God, I'm such a jerk."

"At least you got that right," I said, sniffling.

"I just meant… Bollocks, I shouldn't 've said it at all. I'm sorry, pet."

"Are you sorry for saying that I'm a better fuck than your toy, or for saying this wasn't just about sex?" I asked sharply. His hands grabbed my shoulders- firmly, but not roughly- and turned me over to face him. Suddenly I felt really naked under his pissed-off cobalt glare. I reached down to grab the sheet and pulled it up over me, covering my nudity. He glared at the sheet but left it in place.

"I didn't lie to you," he said. "Making- what we did wasn't just about me fucking a Slayer. No, I wasn' thinking when I compared you to the Bot. But you aren't just scratchin' an itch."

"That thing was?" How could I believe he wasn't just in it to get laid if he'd built a sex toy three days ago?

"The robot…" He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I was lonely. I wanted you, but you'd uninvited me. So I got a really stupid idea. I din't ever think I'd get this close to you."

"But it was just a sex toy," I said, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. "It wasn't-"

"How could anyone replicate you, love?" he asked. "Nothing, not some stupid fucking toy or some other bint could be like you. The way you look at me, the way you move, how could anythin' ever come close to that?" He glanced away from me with an almost Angel-like glower firmly in place.

"I was lonely and desperate," he said. "I don't do well on my own. Makes me think up really stupid plans. I know that don' make up for it. An' I _am_ sorry I said that. I didn't mean t' say it."

"I just thought..." I said. "I mean, you say you love me and then you… get that thing. It hurt. It felt like what you told me wasn't real. It felt like you were just in love with the idea of sleeping with me."

"I told you I'd have waited," he said. "If I jus' wanted t' fuck you, love, I would've done it when you were chained up in my crypt."

"I know that," I said quietly. "I just- I don't- God, I don't know what I'm doing."

"Me neither." He smiled a little shyly. "Will you come back here now? I want… I wanna hold you." A smile tugged at my lips as I scooted closer to him. He wrapped his arms around me and I looped one leg over his.

"You know I love you, right?" he said quietly. I hummed in response, resting my head on his chest. One of his hands knotted itself in my hair as the other traveled up and down my back. "I mean it," he said. "'M drownin' in you, Summers. You're all I think about, all I want to think about. I never thought I'd get t' jus' hold you like this. An' never in a million years did I think you'd ever love me."

"Has anyone ever told you that you talk a lot?" I teased, sitting up. I straddled his hips with a grin. I felt him harden immediately in response, his cock nestled gently into the cleft of my ass. "And most of your thoughts are wrong," I continued, wriggling against his arousal. "Like that you'd _never_ get me. We've been dancing around this for years."

"Din't think you'd ever want t' be with me," he said, sitting up. "No one's…" I frowned. No one's what? Obviously women wanted to be with him. Hell, Drusilla was with him for 120 years. Harmony was with him when he came back to Sunnydale, and he couldn't walk down the street without getting a half-dozen lingering stares. If Spike was anything, it was wanted by the female species. So then what was he talking about?

"Still can't believe you…" he murmured, so quietly I nearly missed it. Then it dawned on me what he was talking about.

"No one's ever loved you back," I whispered, one hand covering my hand in shock. His beautiful eyes filled with pain, and I knew I was right on the money. "You've loved so hard, and no one's ever loved you back?"

He shrugged, dropping his eyes. I touched his chin gently, guiding his eyes back up to me. I leaned in and kissed his lips gently. "They were morons," I said softly. "If they couldn't see how amazing and beautiful you are, they didn't deserve you."

"I don' deserve you," he murmured. I pressed a finger to his lips.

"Hush, you," I said, smiling at him. "You are so gorgeous, and you're strong. I don't know anyone- hell, I couldn't even have done it- who could've stood up to Glory like that and not told her who Dawn was. You're so strong and brave. You're a good man, Spike."

"'M not," he said. "'M rude an' evil."

"Okay, then you _can_ be a good man," I said. "You've got it in you, I know you do. Lord William Whatever-the-rest-of-your-name-is is still inside you, and as much-"

"Kingsley," he sighed. "Lord William Kingsley of Pemberly." I grinned.

"Lord Kingsley it is, then," I said. "And I'm going to keep telling you this until you believe me. I'm in love with you. Like, brutally. It makes me ache, I love you so much. So you're stuck with me. Better get used to it now, bud."

That unreasonably wide, dimpled smile was back. He cinched his arms around me, crushing me to him. "I love you," he all but growled. "God, pet, I love you so much."

"Scoot back," I ordered, wrapping my legs around his waist as he moved so his back leaned against my headboard. Slowly, I guided his hard member into my wetness. We both sighed in pleasure when he was finally fully inside me again. I kissed him deeply as I started moving my hips against him. We moved slowly together as our bliss built. When we were both on the edge, Spike vamped again and slid his fangs into my throat. I came hard, screaming his name as he found his release too. This time he drank from me, prolonging my orgasm with every deep pull from my neck. He broke away with a gasp, closing the puncture marks in my skin gently. My arms wrapped tightly around him, we rested for what felt like days, leaning back against the headboard.

When my stomach growled loudly, Spike chuckled. "Let's get you somethin' t' eat, kitten," he said.

"Don't wanna move," I mumbled into the crook of his neck. I'd been sucking gently at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, and a new hickey stood proudly, dark purple against the ivory of his skin.

"C'mon, love," he said, lifting me off him slowly. We both groaned in response as he slipped from within me. Standing slowly- my legs didn't feel as sturdy as usual- I found his shirt on the floor and slipped it on as he pulled on his jeans. I slid into an old pair of boxers and took his hand. We walked slowly together downstairs, pausing every few steps to steal a kiss or a quick grope. By the time we made it to the kitchen, I really wasn't interested in food anymore.

"So, you've got Pop-tarts, peanut butter, and coffee," Spike said, rifling though my cupboards.

"There's more in the fridge," I said, sitting on a stool and watching him.

"Feel like an omelet, then?" he asked, pulling the carton of eggs out.

"You don't have to cook for me, Spike. I'm not really hungry anymore."

"You need somethin' t' eat," he said, finding some vegetables and other fixings. He set everything out on the counter and fixed a blue-eyed stare on me. "Let me take care of you, sweets." My lip quivered and I nodded mutely. It felt… well, really good to let Spike take care of me, which was weird for me. Maybe it was my inner Slayer talking, but when Riley and Angel had tried to coddle me, I'd always bristled. Or maybe it was the fact that Spike wanted to care for me, not protect me. He didn't treat me like I was made of glass. Spike reveled in my strength; he wasn't jealous of it. What had I done to deserve a guy like him?

"Not to distract you from starin' at me, love," he drawled, putting the omelet together in a frying pan on the stove, "but where's the Bit?"

"I dunno," I said, looking around for some kind of sign from her. The answering machine was blinking with a new message. I walked over to the machine and pressed play. Dawn's voice filled the room.

"Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that I'm out with Willow and Tara today," she said. I could hear background noise of the mall. "So have as much… _fun_…" She giggled girlishly, and I could hear Willow and Tara's voices chastising her. "… As you want and don't worry about me. Buffy, we've got Willow's cell phone if you need us. Spike, we'll stop by your crypt and get you some clothes, 'cuz the morning-after look? So not of the good. And we'll be back by 5 for dinner. The Scoobies are coming over, too, so try to not be completely naked when we get there, okay? See you later! Have fun!"

"Tarty chit," Spike said, barely holding in his smile. He flipped my food out onto a plate and set it in front of me.

"She has gotten pretty mouthy lately," I said, taking a big bite. I moaned in response. That was quite possibly the best thing I'd ever had in my mouth. "Oh my god," I said. He grinned cockily at me. "Okay, I'm never letting you go if you cook this good."

"Wouldn't let you let me go," he purred, coming up to stand behind me as I all but inhaled the omelet. "Eat up, love. Need you t' have all the energy you can, 'cuz we've got six hours till the Bit gets home, and I plan on makin' you scream at least a dozen times before then."

And he did.

END

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That's all for this one. i hope you liked it! there's a sequel already written for it, but i'm not sure how long it will take me to get it up here, so keep a lookout for it! thanks for the reviews!~kitten


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